Bird Photography Tour - Best of Central Vietnam (6-days)

Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City – Pleiku airport – Mang Den (Mang Canh forest)

Welcome to VietBird Ltd! This morning we will take a domestic flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Pleiku airport in Gia Lai province, central Vietnam. Then we will drive to our first birding destination Mang Den (Mang Canh forest), where the shy endemic "Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush" seen by only a handful of birders, will be our main target species. Night at Mang Den town.

Day 2: Mang Den (Mang Canh forest)

We will have a full day to explore two birding sites above Mang Den town, Mang Canh forest and Pa Sy waterfall. Our main photographic targets in the bird hides will be the rare endemic "Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush" and the beautiful "Blue Pitta". We will explore some birding trails look for orther beautiful birds such as Yellow-billed Nuthatch, Annam Sultan Tit and the cute Rufous-faced Warbler. Night at Mang Den town.

Expected birds in Mang Den Bird Hides: Blue Pitta, Coral-billed Scimitar-Babbler, Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush (Endemic), White-gorgeted Flycatcher, Small Niltava,...

Expected birds on Mang Den Birding Trails: Annam Sultan Tit (Near Endemic - Subspecies), Yellow-cheeked Tit, Rufous-faced Warbler, Grey-crowned Tit, Gray-headed Parrotbill, Golden Babbler, Yellow-billed Nuthatch (Near Endemic), Mrs. Gould's Sunbird, minivets, warblers,…and more.

Day 3: Mang Den (Mang Canh forest) - Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve

After some final birding at Mang Den (Mang Canh forest) we will drive to Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve. Night at Tu Mo Rong town.

Day 4-5: Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve

We will have two full days to explore this excellent birding, where we hope to get photos of two most beautiful species "Golden-winged Laughingthrush" and "Red-tailed Laughingthrush". Other main targets here including Black-crowned Barwing, Indochinese Fulvetta and the beautiful Annam Golden-breasted Fulvetta. Nights at Tu Mo Rong town.

Expected birds in Ngoc Linh Bird Hides: Gray-bellied Tesia, Indochinese Fulvetta (Near Endemic), Coral-billed Scimitar-Babbler, Rufous-winged Fulvetta, Rusty-capped Fulvetta, Red-tailed Laughingthrush, Golden-winged Laughingthrush (Endemic), Large Niltava, Snowy-browed Flycatcher,…and more.

Expected birds on Ngoc Linh Birding Trails: Black-faced Warbler, Annam Golden-breasted Fulvetta (Endemic - Subspecies), Brownish-backed Sibia (Near Endemic - Subspecies), Blue-winged Minla, Black-crowned Barwing (Near Endemic), Green-tailed Sunbird,…and more.

Day 6:  Ngoc  Linh Nature Reserve – Pleiku airport – Ho Chi Minh City

After some final birding at Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve before going to Pleiku airport for a domestic flight to Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi Capital for your departure flights.

• This trip includes a domestic flight. Checked luggage allowance is a maximum 20kg, with up to 7kg carry on luggage. Any excess luggage charges will need to be paid directly to the airline at check-in.
• Leeches do occur in some of the reserves and encountering them really depends on how much recent rain there has been. If you do have leach socks, it might therefore be a good idea to bring them along.
• By booking this tour you are agreeing to our Terms & Conditions.

Physical difficulty: Mostly easy walking along tracks, roads, and trails, but there will be a few inclined sections in the mountains.

Habitats Covered: Broadleaved evergreen forest, Evergreen forest, Secondary forest, Dry dipterocarp forest, Wetland, Rice field, Mountain forest, Pine forest, Bamboo forest, Shoreline.

Accommodation: Comfortable hotel and Guesthouse at the Parks. All accommodations have hot water, free Wi-Fi and most have air-conditioning.

Climate: Temperatures typically vary between 20°C-25°C (68-77°F). At higher altitudes we may encounter some small rain at times and colder temperatures 10°C- 20°C (50-68°F).